Cristian Emanuel Amuchastegui, first place, 2010 Prix de Lausanne dance competition (photo: ©2010, Jean-Bernard Sieber)

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Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Cristian Emanuel Amuchastegui, age 18, won the top prize at the 2010 Prix de Lausanne dance competition. He is from Argentina and has been studying at the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy in Texas, USA.

Amuchastegui also won the coveted prize as the audience’s favourite, selected with a poll taken during the final performances.

His prize is a year at the dance school of his choice, from among a host of top companies that are partners of the Prix de Lausanne.

The other top winners

Dancers who place in the top six spots, including the best contemporary dance winner, all receive scholarships at top partner schools/dance companies:

Mariko Sasaki, Prix de Lausanne 2010 winner (photo: ©2010 Jean-Bernard Sieber)

Raina Francisca Mungamba, Prix de Lausanne 2010 winner (photo: ©2010 Jean-Bernard Sieber)

Reina Francisco Mungamba, Spain, San Francisco Ballet School; Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza “Mariemma”
Mariko Sasaki, Japan, Yuriko Kawaguchi Ballet School, Toyko, Japan
Caitlin Stawaruk, Australia, Tanz Akademie Zürich; Australian Ballet School
Aaron Sharratt, USA, Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy, Texas, US
Christopher Evans, USA, Ballet Met, Colombus, Ohio, US
Lewis Turner, Great Britain, Elmhurst School For Dance, Birmingham, UK.

Prizes awarded for best contemporary dance performance, Best Swiss candidate

Lewis Turner, Great Britain, Elmhurst School For Dance in Birmingham, won the prize for best contemporary dance performer.

Swiss student Alexandra Valavanis from the Belletschule des Opernhauses in Zurich won the prize for best Swiss candidate.

Other finalists receive CHF1,000 awards each

Luca Acri , Japan, Acri-Horimoto Ballet Academy, Saitama; Scuola di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala
Jonathan de Araujo Batista, Brazil, English National Ballet School, London
Chan Chunwai, China, Guang Zhou Art School
Guilherme Duarte de Menezes, Brazil, English National Ballet School, London
Vitor Duarte de Menezes, Brazil, Yamaji Rumiko Ballet School, Tokyo
Hiu Tung Yu, China, Shen Zhen Art School
Shu Kinouchi, Japan, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT, New York
Liang Zecheng , China, Guang Zhou Art School
Liao Xiang, China, Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy
Marcelino Sambé, Portugal, Conservatoire National, Lisbonne
Aaron Smyth, Australia, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT, New York
Alexandra Valavanis, Switzerland, Ballettschule des Opernhauses Zürich
Yang Ruiqi, China, Shanghai Dance School

The six-day competition finished with a sold-out public performance for the judged finals Sunday afternoon 31 January.

Ed. note: The Prix de Lausanne site has a wonderful photo gallery of the dancers competing, good quality videos of the students dancing throughout the week and a series of videoblogs about the ups and downs of their experience, participating for a week in one of the world’s top pre-professional dance contests.

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